Post 622613

Red TextI think in general this topic hasn't been, but I think we should lay some ground rules here.To the left:- The idea that guns being banned any time in the foreseeable future in America is laughable, at best. It's not that it may or may not be a good idea, it's that gun ownership is ingrained in the very fabric of the country and would need the equivalent of an act of god to change. Like it or not, it's a right enshrined in the Constitution. Want to debate background checks or other facets of restricting gun ownership to specific individuals? Go ahead. If you want to debate whether it be a right or not, go ahead, but temper your expectations with the reality that .To the right:- I think we need to cool it with the doomsday scenarios. Yes, there was a Civil War ~150 years ago, and apart from a few loonies on either side of the spectrum, no one WANTS to go that route again. The President may be Commander-in-Chief, but he does not have unilateral authority to suddenly declare war on half of the populace. The legislature, the states, and even members in his own chain of command do not have to follow such an order. You can claim that gun ownership is part of the desire to defy a tyrannical government, but assuming that's the immediate-future outcome of all this is ridiculously out there. The argument "better to have one and never need than to not have one and need it" is tired and while it sounds pithy, is just a platitude. I'm seeing a lot of rote talking points from the opposite ends of the POV here, and I think this discussion could do with more thoughtful discussion and less sensationalism. Less arguing the extremes, more on measured responses.Disclaimer: I'm a veteran with an expert marksman badge, have hunted in the past, do not own a gun at present, but am not opposed to the idea.